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No alluvial valley floors CAVF's) exist within the area to be mined. However, the alluvial deposits of Goodspring Creek, Wilson Creek, and lower Elkhorn Creels meet the geomorphic and irrigation criteria of an AVF and are discussed in Section B, Item XVII of this document. Climate Climatic information is found in Section 2.04.8 of the permit application. The region is characterized by a semi-arid steppe climate regime. Precipitation averages 18 inches per year with a significant portion of this yearly precipitation occurring as snowfall. Prevailing winds over the permit area are from the southwest and average eight to nine miles per hour. High winds are not common, due to the protection afforded by local terrain. Soils Soils information is found in Section B, Item IV of this document, as well as in Section 2.04.9 and Exhibit 9 of the permit application. The most prevalent soils at Colowyo, the Burnette and Work Loams, are mollisols of the suborder boroll, which developed an gently sloping to rolling ridgetops, moderately steep sideslopes,,and in gently sloping, concave narrow stream valleys. Shallow, rocky soils of the order entisol occur to a limited extent within the area to be disturbed on steep, south-facing slopes. For the most part, the soils that developed on the gentle slopes and swales, including the Burnette and Work Loams, are deep Loams and clay Loams with physical and chemical properties that are well suited for revegetation. One soil unit, the Campspass Fine Sandy Loam,.whlch occupies considerable acreage in the southern and western portions of the permit area, is characterized by subsoils high in clay content. These soils, if salvaged and redistributed directly on the regraded spoils, could hamper reclamation efforts due to the high runoff, erosion hazard, slow permeability and droughty conditions associated Hith fine textured soils. Vegetation Baseline vegetation information is found in Section 2.04.10, Map 4 and Exhibit 10 of the permit application. 51x vegetation communities and a small amount of cropland exist within the Colowyo permit boundary. The major communities are sagebrush and mountain shrub. Communities of minor significance include a juniper community in the vicinity of Streeter Mountain, scattered aspen graves in the upper reaches of Streeter and Taylor Creeks, a limited riparian community along Goodspring and Taylor Creeks, and a small western wheatgrass community in the southern portion of the permit area. The sagebrush community occurs throughout the permit area on all elevations, slopes and soils. The community has developed wherever soil moisture retention and soil depth has become limiting to other vegetation communities. The overstory is dominated by b.ig sagebrush (Artemisia.tridentata) and -6-